Folding-machine.



J. E". McINTlRE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7- I916- L278A90. Patented Sept. 10,1918.

W15 a /JIJ JAMES E. MOINTIRE, OF WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 P.R. GLASS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING-MACHINE Application filed February 7, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. MCINTIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Weymouth, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in F olding-Machines,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to folding machines and is herein illustrated inconnection with a machine for folding a binding strip over the edge of apiece of upper material for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.

For convenience of description the upper material will be referred'to asa piece of leather and the binding-as a strip of fabric.

It is customary in the manufacture of certain styles of shoes to stitchto a piece of the upper, for example a vamp, a strip of fabric, applycement to said fabric and then fold the fabric over the leather to forma binding. Hitherto the folding has been done by hand; .and the generalobject of the present invention is to provide mechanism for performingthis folding operation.

According to one feature of the invention a gage extends into thejunction of the leather or other material with the binding at a point atwhich the work is unfolded. There is thus provided proper means forguiding the work as it is fed to the folding mechanism.

This and other features of the invention, including-certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts will be described in connectionwith an illustrative machine'and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a machine in which the presentinvention is embodied, showing a piece of work in process of beingfolded;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective on an enlarged scale of the folding andpressing instrumentalities v Fig. 3 is a perspective of the effectiveend of the edge gage and the preliminary turning member;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a piece of leather Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Serial No. 76,666.

to which a fabric binding strip has been stitched, and

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the binding turned back ready to befolded.

The invention has been illustrated in connection with a machine of thetype shown and described in British Patent No.'l9,937 of 1914. In theillustrative machine, as in the machine of the patent, the work 100 isfed intermittently over -a support 1, and the margin of the work isprogressively folded over the end of a creaser 3 by a folder or foldingfinger 5 which is continuously reciprocated to turn the margin of thework progressively over the-end of the creaser after the manner shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The oscillating presser or hammer 7 acts to press thefold as indicated in Fig. 2, and serves also, in connection witha'movable anvil (not shown) to feed the work. The movement of thepresser is as follows:

Starting with the raised position shown in Fig. 1, it descends totheposition shown in Fig. 2 in which it presses the folded margin upon theanvil. The hammer and anvil then move in unison to the left as viewed inFig. 2 to feed the work, after which the hammer rises and then bothhammer and anvil return to the starting position. In order to facilitatethe feeding of the work, the hammer or presser 7 has fastened to it aresilient finger 10 the operative end of which extel'ids toward thecreaser 3 and engages the work at a point removed from the edge thereof.As thus far described, the illustrative machine is substantiallyidentical with that of the British patent and no further detaileddescription of it will be given.

The machine of the patent is adapted to fold the skived margin of apiece of leather. In the present case, however, the leather is neitherskived nor folded. Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a portion of ashoe upper, for example a quarter, to which has been stitched at 9 astrip of fabric 11 which is later to serve as a binding for the edge ofthe leather. After having been stitched in place the binding is cementedand turned back into the position shown in Fig. 5. The leather part withthe cemented binding is then placed upon the support 1 (see Fig. 1) withthe cemented side of the binding uppermost and presented tothe feedingand folding mechamsm. In order to guide the work a gage 13 pivoted at15'to a stationary part is normally pressed down upon the flat top .of apreliminary turning member 17 by a spring 19 and is provided at its rearend with aflat projection 113 pressure upon which by a finger of theoperator will raise the operative end of the gage to permit prcsentationof the work. The operative end 213 of the age extends downwardlyinto the corner ormed at the junction of the leather with the fabric andengages the edge of the leather thereby serving to guide the Work as itis fed. Although in the illustrative machine a preliminary turningmember is shown the turning function of this member is not essential,its principal func tion being to receive on its flattop the stem of theedge gage 13 and thereby to prevent the operative end 113 of said gagefrom pressing with any considerable force upon the binding.

Although the invention has been set forth in connection with a machinehaving a movable folder, a stationary creaser, and a combined feedingand fold pressing mechanism,

it should be understood that this has been done to promote brevity andclearness and that the invention is not limited in the scope of itsapplication to the particular throughout its length having, incombination, means for feeding the work, a gage arranged to engage anunfolded portion of the work at a distance from the edge there 'of, andmeans located entirely in the rear of the gage for folding the bindingover they edge of the material.

- 2. A machine for folding a piece of work which consists of a piece ofmaterial to which a stri of binding has been attached throughout 1tslength, having, in combination, means for feeding the work,- a gagearranged to extend into the corner at the junction of the material withthe binding at a point at which the work is unfolded, and means forfoldin the binding about the edge of the material.

3. A machine for folding a piece of work which consists of a piece ofmaterial to which a strip of binding has been attached throughout itslength, having, in combina tion, a gage arranged to extend into thecorner formed by the attachment of the binding to the material, andmeans for folding the binding about the edge of the material.

4. A machine for operating upon a piece of work which consists of apiece of material material and the binding, a creaser the operativeportion of which is located close to the edge of the material, a folderfor turning the binding over the creaser, and a presser to press thebinding upon the material.

5. A machine for operating upon a piece of work which consists of a bodymaterial to which a more flexible strip has been attached throughout itslength, said material and strip being so related that at their juncturethe edge of the material forms a shoulder, comprising means for guidingthe work by engagement with the shoulder at an unfolded portion of thework, and means for progressively folding the strip over the material.

6. A machine for folding over the edge of a piece of leather a piece offabric which is attached to the margin of said leather, having, incombination, means for feeding the work intermittently into position tobe operated upon, an edge gage extending over the unfolded fabric andinto engagement with the'edge of the leather, and folding and pressingmechanisms located in the rear of said edge gage.

7. A machine for folding over the edge of a piece of leather a piece offabric Which has been attached throughout its length to the margin ofsaid leather, having, in combination, an edge gage extending overtheunfolded fabric into engagement with the edge of the leather, means forfeeding the work past the gage, and means for folding the fabric overthe leather and pressing it into place.

8. Mechanism for feeding and guiding a piece of work which consists of apiece of material to which a second piece of material has been attachedthroughout its length, comprising'a bed for supporting the work, a gagearranged to extend into the corner at the junction of the two pieces ofmaterial, said gage being located above the face of one of the pieces inposition to en 'gage an edge of the other, and means for JAMES E.MoINTIRE.

